One of the advantages of having a supermodel for a wife, as Nicolas Sarkozy recently discovered, is that she knows about style. As part of the French president’s recent makeover, Carla Bruni removed his oversized, face-engulfing sunglasses and replaced them with a more understated pair of aviators. In doing so, she put him in the middle of a new trend exemplified by the even more media-savvy George Clooney, Brad Pitt and P. Diddy.
As it turns out, the A-listers are not alone. According to British department store chain John Lewis, sales of men’s sunglasses are up 39 per cent year-on-year. “Men once perceived accessories as effeminate but are now happily buying products such as bags, fashion scarves and moisturisers,” says Peter Ruis, director of fashion buying for the store. “As sunglasses have become more relevant to men, brands have put more resources into marketing this key area.”
Think of them, then, as the new tie: an item increasingly bought in multiples to be matched with any outfit or situation. “Sunglasses have left behind the ‘one purchase for life’ mentality,” says Ruis. “And there is growth at both ends of the market. Men are happily picking up a reasonably-priced John Lewis pair, which are kept in the car or left around the house, as well as Prada, which suggests a greater appreciation of luxury in this market.”
According to David Allen, managing director for sunglasses specialists Shadestation, men are realising that their sunglasses need to perform in different situations. “Whereas a pair of sports-orientated sunglasses such as Oakleys are perfect on the piste or up on deck, they would look completely out of place with an Ozwald Boateng suit,” he says. “For the boardroom, guys are opting for Ray-Ban, and, to exude attitude, Dolce & Gabbana.”
Fabio d’Angelantonio, global marketing director for the Luxottica Group, agrees. “Men’s eyewear collections now have their own personalities and are far removed from the functional item that they were in the past. These days, men are demanding shapes that fit different lifestyles. For instance, there are frames with a wood effect or that feature leather in metallic colours on the bridge. There is also the re-edition of classics with a contemporary twist, like Persol 714, which is foldable, and aviator styles with new understated detail.”
And where better to demonstrate that than in Italy – land of the perennial sunglasses wearer. “Living here has changed my opinion of sunglasses,” admits Tom Goodwin, a writer based in Rome. “I have 16 pairs, but my wife has dozens of handbags, shoes and shades, so I feel my one vice is okay. In England, sunglasses were purely for July and August. Here, I curse myself for having forgotten them when I leave the flat at any time of the year.”
“Younger men are more interested in fashion and don’t mind having a pair which looks like something their girlfriends might wear,” adds Jerry Dreifuss, international marketing manager for Polaroid Eyewear.
Manufacturers are also marketing sunglasses to a male audience by emphasising their practicality – for a particular sport, for instance – together with a fair chunk of science. The Silhouette brand promotes certain models for running and sailing that, it says, protect against UVA, UVB and UVC, while Polaroid Eyewear’s hi-tech XOOR range is aimed at drivers. “The range is coated three times, meaning it is less likely to fog up, allowing you to concentrate on your driving,” says Dreifuss.
And let’s not forget the power that a pair of shades can have on the opposite sex. “Sunglasses regulate intimacy by offering degrees of concealment and display,” says Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at the University of London who has studied the effects of wearing sunglasses on both men and women. “Because they hide what the wearer is thinking, good sunglasses can impart confidence, ‘cool’ and sex appeal.”
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Details
www.shadestation.co.uk
www.johnlewis.com
www.davidclulow.com
www.polaroideyewear.com
www.silhouette.com
